


Pendragon Software

by auspicious_dragon



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Corporate, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Confrontations, Developing Relationship, Eventual Romance, Father-Son Relationship, Gay Male Character, Gay Sex, Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:47:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28779258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/auspicious_dragon/pseuds/auspicious_dragon
Summary: Merlin is a software engineer who gets a job at the Pendragon Software corporation.  He reports to Morgana Pendragon, who introduces him to her brother, Arthur.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merthur
Comments: 6
Kudos: 90





	1. Merlin's First Day at Pendragon Software

Merlin was late for his first day of work at Pendragon Software, the company where he had just been hired as a software engineer. Merlin was a bike commuter, so he jumped on his bike and rode as fast as he could to work. When he got to the busy intersection where he had to make a left turn, he saw a car coming from the opposite direction. 

Merlin thought he could make the turn before the car got to the intersection, but his wheels slipped on a wet spot in the road as he was turning, and he fell over in the middle of the street. The car came to a screeching halt, just missing him by inches.

The driver was furious. “You got a death wish or something, idiot? I could have killed you.”

Merlin picked himself and his bicycle up and looked at the handsome blonde man who was scowling at him. He knew what he did was reckless, but he didn’t like getting yelled at. So, he said in a sarcastic tone, “I’m not hurt. Thanks EVER SO MUCH for asking.” 

That seemed to make the guy even angrier. He shouted at Merlin, “You’re a menace and an idiot! You shouldn’t be allowed on the road!”

Merlin flipped him off, jumped back on his bike and rode off. He ended up being fifteen minutes late on his first day. Luckily his boss either didn’t notice or didn’t care. Merlin’s boss was a beautiful young woman named Morgana Pendragon. She headed the Decision Support Systems team to which Merlin was assigned. 

Merlin’s friend Gwaine helped him get the job at Pendragon Software. Both men majored in Computer Science at Avalon University and had become best friends. Gwaine was a member of Morgana Pendragon’s software development team and had talked Merlin up to Morgana. 

Gwaine told Merlin that Morgana was a decent boss to work for, but her father, Uther Pendragon, the CEO, was a tyrant and all the employees feared and hated him. Gwaine also told Merlin that Uther’s son Arthur worked for the company too, and he could be a jerk sometimes but he wasn’t quite as bad as Uther. According to Gwaine, Arthur headed the Cybersecurity team and was a difficult boss to work for. “Just stay away from Uther and Arthur and you’ll be fine,” Gwaine said.

The first thing Merlin did when he arrived at work was to check in with Morgana. She greeted him warmly. “Hey, Merlin, welcome to Pendragon Software. I’m so glad to have you on board. Gwaine’s told me terrific things about you, and your resume is impressive. I’m sure you’ll be a great addition to my team.” Merlin thanked her and said he was happy and excited to start work.

“Let me introduce you around,” Morgana said. “There are a lot of people you should meet.”

Morgana introduced Merlin first to her administrative assistant, Gwen, who greeted him with a cheerful welcome and a big smile. He thought she seemed very sweet. Morgana then took Merlin around to meet the members of her team who greeted him warmly and made some funny comments about how Merlin didn’t realize he had just signed up to work in the salt mines and for a slave driver like Morgana. That put Merlin at ease. He thought that Morgana must be a great boss if her employees could make jokes like that when she was present. 

“Now let’s go upstairs to meet the big boss man and the little boss man,” Morgana said with a smile. 

“You mean Mr. Uther Pendragon and Mr. Arthur Pendragon, I assume,” Merlin replied.

“Yes, indeed, but be sure to call my father Dr. Pendragon,” Morgana warned. “He’s vain like that. He’s not even a real doctor, but he thinks everyone should call him Dr. Pendragon because he’s got a Ph.D. in Computer Science.”

“Thanks for the heads-up.” 

They took the elevator up to the sixth floor and made their way to a huge corner office. Morgana stood in the doorway and called to a distinguished good-looking man who sat behind a huge desk. “Hi, Dad, got a minute?”

“Yes, come on in, Morgana.”

Morgana entered the gigantic office, Merlin in tow. “Dad, I’d like you to meet the newest member of my team, Merlin Emrys.”

Uther Pendragon stood up and walked towards Merlin, who was secretly amused to notice that he was about an inch taller than Uther. Merlin extended his hand. “Dr. Pendragon, it’s an honor to meet you sir.” 

Apparently, that was an appropriate greeting, because Uther smiled. “Welcome to Pendragon Software, young man. I hope you will be very happy here.”

“Thank you, sir. I’m delighted to be on Ms. Pendragon’s team.” 

After they left Uther’s office, Morgana said, “That went very well. Uther doesn’t usually smile, so you obviously made a good impression. Now let’s go see the little boss man, my brother Arthur.”

They walked down a long corridor to the corner office at the other end of the building. This time Morgana walked right into the office, with Merlin following right behind her. She addressed the man who was facing away from them, working on his computer. “Arthur, come meet my new software engineer.” 

When Arthur turned around, Merlin’s jaw dropped and he thought, “Oh, shit!” It was the driver who almost hit him that morning, the man he had flipped off.

“You!” Arthur exclaimed, wide-eyed. “You hired this guy, Morgana? If he codes as well as he rides a bicycle, you’re in deep shit.”

Morgana smirked. “I guess you two have some history?”

Merlin decided to tough it out. In his experience the best way to handle awkward situations was to be honest. “Yes, I was rushing to work on my bike, took a turn too fast and fell off my bike in the road right as Mr. Pendragon came barreling through the intersection. If he hadn’t come to a screeching halt, I wouldn’t have made it in today. We exchanged words, and then I gave him the finger.”

Morgana laughed, which assuaged Merlin’s anxiety. “Well, Merlin, at least you made a good impression on Uther. Arthur, this is Merlin Emrys. Merlin, my brother Arthur Pendragon.”

“Hello, Mr. Pendragon,” Merlin said, unable to suppress an impudent grin. “Sorry about giving you the finger. I know what I did was reckless. My only excuse is I didn’t want to be late for my first day of work.” He extended his right hand as a peace offering.

Arthur took his hand reluctantly and frowned. “MER-lin, huh? If not for my super-quick reflexes you’d be another statistic. Let’s hope your work is better than your cycling skills.”

That pissed Merlin off, but he knew better than to mouth off even though he really wanted to. He maintained his impudent grin. “I am very grateful for your SUPER-quick reflexes, Mr. Pendragon.” Merlin tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice but worried that a bit of attitude slipped out. He wondered whether Arthur could tell he was pissed off.

“Let it go, Arthur,” Morgana said with a sigh, which gave Merlin a glimpse into their sibling dynamic, and then turned to Merlin. “Let’s head back downstairs and I’ll show you where everything is.”

“SO good to meet you, MISTER Pendragon,” Merlin said brightly, this time making no attempt to mask the attitude, before leaving Arthur’s office. Arthur just grunted back, and Merlin thought, “What a self-righteous prat. Figures such a handsome guy would turn out to be a dick.”

After they left Arthur’s office, Morgana said, “Don’t mind my brother, Merlin. He’s got a stick up his ass.” Merlin laughed heartily and replied, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

*****

Apart from his interaction with Arthur, Merlin had a satisfying first day at Pendragon Software. He felt comfortable with Morgana and the other members of the Decision Support System team. He was assigned to work with Gwaine on a medical application that was a good fit for his professional interests and skills. 

After work Merlin and Gwaine went to have a drink at a nearby bar called the Unicorn. Merlin told Gwaine all about his two encounters with Arthur earlier in the day. Gwaine laughed and said, “I told you he could be a jerk.”

“Too bad such a gorgeous guy like Arthur has to be such a prat,” Merlin groused. “Why can’t he be more like you, Gwaine, handsome AND nice?”

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Merlin,” Gwaine said with a lascivious grin.

The two men often flirted with each other but had not progressed beyond flirting. Since their junior year in college, their relationship had evolved from study partners to best friends. At this point both men were reluctant to jeopardize a solid friendship by getting involved sexually or romantically. A few years ago they had come out to each other, Merlin informing Gwaine that he was gay, and Gwaine disclosing that he was bi. Since then they enjoyed mild flirtation and sexual innuendoes from time to time.

Gwaine and Merlin had gotten sufficiently comfortable with each other to talk openly about people they were attracted to. Gwaine told Merlin that he had his eye on one of their coworkers named Percy, who was a huge, soft-spoken, shy guy. Merlin admitted that he thought Arthur was extremely good-looking, and he would be attracted to him if the man weren’t such a prat. Gwaine agreed that Arthur was hot but said that Percy was more his type. Their conversation continued in this vein until they decided it was time to head home.

*****

It was almost 8 p.m. and Arthur Pendragon was still at work. That wasn’t unusual for him. As head of the Cybersecurity team, he had to carry a heavy load of responsibility and pressure. And his father was a difficult and demanding boss who expected perfect performance from his son and accepted no excuses for imperfection.

Arthur was stressed, worrying about whether his team could deliver the next software release on schedule. Keeping up with the millions of new and improved cyber threats created every year was a continual battle that made Arthur lose sleep at night. He had a strong and talented team, but the work was challenging to say the least. 

And the day had started off on a sour note after he had nearly killed Merlin Emrys, who turned out to be his sister’s new software engineer. Merlin was snarky to him and flipped him off at the scene. And although Merlin did apologize in Arthur’s office and his words sounded polite, Arthur sensed that Merlin was being facetious, especially when he addressed Arthur as “MISTER Pendragon” and said he was grateful for Arthur’s “SUPER-quick reflexes.” He had a feeling that Merlin was really irritated and would have preferred to scowl at Arthur and flip him off again. Arthur could tell that there was attitude underlying Merlin’s grin and excessively polite words.

Arthur found himself thinking more about Merlin Emrys than he probably should. Something about Merlin intrigued him. Maybe because he wasn’t afraid of Arthur. Arthur liked to put on an intimidating act and was prone to making snide remarks and raising his voice to assert his dominance, but he actually hated when people cowered or behaved in a subservient way towards him. Merlin had yelled back at Arthur after falling off his bike, and to Arthur that was unexpected and somewhat exciting. And in Arthur’s office Merlin had described exactly what had happened that morning, including the fact that he had given Arthur the finger. That surprised Arthur too. Merlin seemed to have no problem telling the embarrassing truth, even in front of his new boss. That elicited Arthur’s curiosity.

Merlin wasn’t bad looking either. A little on the skinny side, but Arthur liked men who were tall, lean and wiry. Merlin fit the bill. His face was handsome too, with beautiful high cheekbones, arresting blue eyes, and alluring, sensual lips. Arthur couldn’t help imagining what it would be like to kiss Merlin’s soft lips and run his fingers through Merlin’s silky brown locks. These thoughts made him uncomfortable, but he wasn’t able to dispel them completely—throughout the day, thoughts and images of Merlin would come to him from time to time.

Arthur was gay, but he had come out only to Morgana and to a few of his closest friends. All of his significant sexual and romantic partners had been men. Arthur particularly did not want his father to know that he preferred men to women, and so he kept his relationships with men well hidden. So that his father would not suspect he was gay, Arthur would bring his friend Elena to company events where Uther would be in attendance. Elena knew Arthur was gay and agreed to be his “beard” at company events.


	2. Merlin and Arthur Get Better Acquainted

As the weeks went by, Arthur found his thoughts continuing to return to Merlin Emrys. He caught glimpses of the tall, lean dark-haired man now and then. Recently he saw Merlin securing his bicycle to the bike rack near the building entrance, sitting and laughing with Gwaine in the company cafeteria at lunchtime, and chatting with Uther by the elevator. Arthur was surprised to see his father smiling at Merlin and engaging in friendly conversation with him. He figured that Uther must like Merlin for some reason, because the CEO was not usually that amiable.

Arthur started to make excuses to go downstairs to the Decision Support System department. He would make up reasons to talk to Morgana. That way he could walk by Merlin’s cubicle and take a look at the attractive young man. Arthur tried not to be too obvious about his fascination with Merlin. One evening when Arthur was working late, he went down to Merlin’s cubicle and looked around. He was curious to see Merlin’s personal effects. 

Arthur was surprised to see all the images of dragons with which Merlin had decorated his cubicle. The images represented many different cultures—European, Asian, South American, Middle Eastern, African. The guy was obviously obsessed with dragons, which was very weird. Still, there was something compelling, beautiful, and mysterious about it. There was also a photo in a frame on Merlin’s desk. Arthur picked it up. It was a picture of Merlin with his arm around an attractive man—both men had wide smiles on their faces. Arthur wondered if the other man was Merlin’s partner and felt a twinge of jealousy. He began to dwell on how he could learn more about Merlin Emrys.

*****

Eventually Arthur figured out a way to learn more about Merlin. It was not uncommon for software engineers from one department to be temporarily transferred to another department to help get out a new release on time. As the release date for a new version of a Cybersecurity software product approached, Arthur asked Morgana if he could “borrow” one of her software engineers. 

“Really? You’re that short staffed?” Morgana asked, reluctant to take any of her people off the projects they were currently working on. “Why don’t you hire someone from a temp agency?” she suggested.

“Because it would take too long to train them on how things run here,” Arthur countered. “Come on, Morgs. I’ll return the favor when you need some extra help.” 

Morgana reluctantly agreed and allowed Arthur to look through her employee files to see who would fit the bill. The first file Arthur chose was Merlin’s. He saw that Merlin had done a bit of work related to cybersecurity at his last job, and his eyes lit up. Arthur could make a case for why Merlin was the perfect fit for a temporary assignment to his team. 

“You want Merlin on your project? I thought you didn’t like him!” Morgana exclaimed. “Besides, he’s working with Gwaine on that medical application right now.”

“Doesn’t matter whether I like the guy or not. And I’m sure Gwaine can live without Merlin for several weeks, can’t he? That application isn’t due out for a while yet.”

Morgana reluctantly agreed. “I suspect Merlin won’t like this, given how you behaved when I brought him up to meet you.”

“How I behaved?!” Arthur exclaimed. “The guy gave me the finger, remember?”

Morgana laughed. “Knowing you, you probably deserved it. I’ll talk to Merlin and tell him to report to your office first thing tomorrow morning. And can he at least stay down here in his cubicle?”

Arthur shook his head. “No, I want him to be near me and my team members. I’ll find a place for him to work on the sixth floor.”

Morgana looked at Arthur curiously. “That’s different.”

Arthur shrugged. “We’re experiencing major crunch time now. We need to be as efficient as possible.”

*****

Merlin was not a happy camper. “Why’d that prat have to pick me?” he complained to Gwaine. “He probably just wants to make my life a living hell. I’m sure there are other people who know more than me about cybersecurity.”

Gwaine tried to be reassuring. “You know plenty, Merlin. You’ll impress the hell out of Arthur.”

“I think I already made an impression on him. A bad one.”

The next morning he arrived at Arthur’s office bright and early. Arthur was sitting at his desk. 

“Merlin Emrys, reporting for duty, Mr. Pendragon,” Merlin said as he strode into the spacious office. He was feeling quite anxious and trying hard not to let it show.

“Ah, yes, Merlin.” Arthur smiled, which surprised Merlin, who had not expected Arthur to be friendly and didn’t trust it. “Please call me Arthur. All my employees do.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Arthur,” the blonde man corrected, still smiling.

“Yes, Arthur.” 

Arthur nodded. “That's better. Let me show you where you’ll be working.” Merlin followed him to a cubicle right outside Arthur’s office. “Really?” Merlin thought. “He puts me right next to his office? Probably wants to keep an eye on me. Shit.”

“I kept my calendar free this morning so I could show you the application and what I would like you to work on,” Arthur said. “So take a seat and I’ll fire this thing up,” he added, grabbing a swivel chair and powering up the computer. 

Within minutes Arthur and Merlin were sitting side by side as Arthur displayed on the screen what had been developed thus far and began to provide a detailed explanation of the software. Merlin was impressed by how clearly and methodically Arthur explained things to him, and how thoroughly and well he answered Merlin’s questions. He also couldn’t help noticing how gorgeous Arthur was, especially up close, and how good he smelled—it was a heady, manly fragrance, a combination of aftershave, cologne, and a pleasant scent that was uniquely and distinctly Arthur. 

Arthur was equally taken by Merlin, focusing on his gorgeous blue eyes and his soft and inviting lips. He noticed what a beautiful contrast was formed by Merlin’s thick curls, almost as dark as ebony, and his flawless ivory skin. He watched Merlin’s long slender fingers and longed to touch them. Arthur was impressed by how quickly Merlin understood the product and asked intelligent, penetrating questions. He realized that Merlin was exceptionally intelligent and skilled. Few of his new hires had apprehended a cybersecurity product so quickly. 

Arthur and Merlin had been reviewing and discussing the product without a break for three hours when Arthur suggested that they take a lunch break. "I’m pretty hungry now and I bet you are too. Let’s go grab some lunch. I know a nice little place not far from here. My treat for your first day on the Cybersecurity team.”

Merlin was surprised that Arthur was being so kind to him and accepted graciously. They left the building and took a short walk to Giorgio’s, a small family-owned Italian restaurant just a few blocks away. Arthur told Merlin that the veal and eggplant parmigiana sandwiches were “to die for,” and he was right. Merlin savored the delicious combination of homemade sauce, mozzarella cheese, and lightly breaded eggplant served on crusty, fresh Italian bread. “This is so amazing,” he exclaimed between bites.

Arthur smiled at Merlin. “Right? That’s why I come here all the time. The only downside is the risk of getting fat. I had to start working out more after I discovered this place.”

“You look pretty fit to me,” Merlin observed, then blushed a bit, wondering whether that remark sounded too flirtatious. 

If so, Arthur appeared to take no notice. “Thanks, I try to get to the gym regularly. And I see that you always bike to work, so you’re getting your daily exercise riding to and from the office. What do you do on rainy days?”

Merlin explained that he had a big poncho that kept him pretty dry, and he kept a change of clothes in his file cabinet in case it rained too hard and his clothes got wet on his way to work. 

Arthur wanted to learn more about Merlin’s personal life but didn’t want to be too obvious about it. He was especially curious about Merlin’s sexual orientation and relationship status, but he couldn’t ask directly about those things, at least not yet. He figured that some general questions would be a safe way to start.

“So, Merlin, tell me a little about yourself. Like what are some important things to know about Merlin Emrys?”

“Oh my gosh, where do I begin? So, I got my degree in Computer Science from Avalon University, and that’s where I met Gwaine, and he was the one who introduced me to Morgana. Gwaine and I became good friends over the years. We have a lot of interests in common, and we hang out pretty often. Um, what else do you want to know?”

Arthur thought about the photo on Merlin’s desk and decided to get a little more personal. “Uh, if you don’t mind my asking, where do you live? And do you have a roommate, or a significant other?”

“Don’t mind at all,” Merlin replied easily. “I live downtown, not far from the Armory, if you know where that is. It’s a converted warehouse called Cathedral Lofts. I live by myself, no roommate, no partner. I broke up with someone about a year ago. We were together for three years before things fell apart.”

“Oh, sorry to hear that.” Arthur said, although he felt far from sorry knowing that Merlin was single. 

“Don’t be sorry. It was for the best. My partner was abusing alcohol, and I finally told him he had to get sober or leave. He decided to leave.”

Arthur was delighted to hear the masculine pronouns, and both pleased and impressed that Merlin came out to him so easily. So Merlin was gay or bi, and single. That meant Arthur had a shot. But he kept his joyful feeling under wraps and said, “Still, it must have been hard.”

“Yeah, but it’s harder being around someone who’s drunk most of the time.” Merlin paused for a few beats, then added, “But enough about me. What about you? Same questions. Where do you live? Alone, with a roommate, with a significant other?”

Arthur smiled. “I live in a Tudor-style house in the Wynnemoor neighborhood. No roommates, no partner. I’ve never had a relationship that lasted more than a few months. In the past year I’ve casually dated a few times. It’s hard when my job is so demanding.”

Merlin nodded sympathetically. “I can imagine. Running a cybersecurity division is no cakewalk.” He wondered whether Arthur dated women or men. Probably women, he thought, but he wasn’t comfortable enough to ask.

After finishing lunch, they made their way back to Pendragon Software and resumed reviewing and discussing the product. By the end of the workday Merlin had a solid basic understanding of the product and what Arthur wanted him to accomplish. Arthur promised to introduce him to the other Cybersecurity team members the following day so he could coordinate his tasks with theirs.

At the end of the day, Merlin said with sincerity, “Thank you, Arthur. I really appreciate that you took the whole day to explain things to me. Thanks too for the excellent lunch and the great company. I enjoyed spending the day with you.”

Arthur felt euphoric upon hearing Merlin’s words. “My pleasure, Merlin. Have a good evening. See you tomorrow.”

Arthur stayed at work for several hours after Merlin left. He needed to catch up on his own work after spending the entire morning and afternoon with Merlin. But it had been worth it. Merlin had completely entranced him. Arthur couldn’t stop thinking about all of Merlin’s assets—his looks, his intelligence, his open and friendly personality. Arthur also recognized that Merlin was assertive and honest. He was struck by the fact that Merlin had broken up with a guy who abused alcohol and gave him an ultimatum—get sober or leave. Arthur admired that. He had never before felt such an intense attraction to another man. Merlin was the kind of guy Arthur could fall in love with. 

*****

Merlin had arranged to meet Gwaine at the Unicorn after his first day working for Arthur. Merlin found Gwaine at a table in the rear of the pub with a pitcher of beer and two frosty mugs. 

Gwaine greeted Merlin with a smile. “First pitcher’s on me. Figured you'd need a beer right away after working for Arthur. How’d it go?”

“Surprisingly well. Arthur was so nice. He spent the whole day with me, explaining the application in detail and giving incredibly clear instructions on what he wants me to accomplish. I was very impressed—he’s obviously smart as hell and a skillful manager. And he took me for an amazing lunch at Giorgio’s.”

Gwaine shook his head in astonishment. “I’m completely blown away. I’ve never heard of him doing anything like that before. He usually tells one of his developers, like Leon or Kay, to train new hires and employees on loan from other departments. And taking you to lunch? That’s a first. He must like you.”

“I was shocked too, because he was so different from the first day we met. The day I gave him the finger before I knew who he was.” Gwaine laughed. Merlin added, “By the way, I came out to him and he didn’t bat an eye.”

“You came out to him?” Gwaine exclaimed. “Why and how?”

“I didn’t just come out and say ‘I’m gay’ out of the blue. Arthur asked where I lived, and if I lived alone or with a roommate or a significant other. So I ended up telling him a little bit about why I broke up with Cenred.”

“Curious that he asked about your personal life,” Gwaine observed.

“It didn’t seem odd to me. It just felt like friendly conversation over lunch. I asked him the same question. Turns out he lives alone in Wynnemoor. I expect he has a nice, posh house there.”

“I expect so,” Gwaine agreed. The conversation then shifted to other topics. The two men decided to head home after finishing the pitcher of beer. “If I drink anymore, I won’t be able to ride my bike home,” Merlin said. “Meet me here after work tomorrow, and the drinks are on me.” 

“Deal,” Gwaine replied.


	3. How Things Turn Out

As soon as Merlin arrived at work the next morning, he went directly to Arthur’s office and greeted his temporary boss cheerfully. Arthur gave him a big smile, and Merlin thought to himself, “He’s the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. Too bad he’s out of my league.” Merlin told Arthur that he would be working in his cubicle whenever Arthur was ready to introduce him to the rest of the Cybersecurity team. 

Merlin took out the list of tasks that he and Arthur developed the day before and started working on those tasks. A couple of hours later he heard loud voices coming from Arthur’s office—it sounded like an intense argument. There was a narrow window that gave Merlin a glimpse into the office. Through the window he saw Uther glowering and yelling at Arthur. “You’re a complete idiot,” Merlin heard Uther shout. “I can’t believe that virus infected Bensalem’s systems -- our biggest client! The anti-virus product failed, and you’re responsible! We better not lose any money because of your fuck-up, and you better fix this snafu right away.” Merlin made himself scarce as Uther stormed out of Arthur’s office, slamming the door behind him. 

When he saw that Uther had turned the corner and was no longer in view, Merlin knocked on Arthur’s door. He heard a faint “Come in,” and entered the office. Arthur looked defeated, and Merlin’s heart went out to him. “I couldn’t help overhearing. Are you OK, Arthur?”

“Not really,” Arthur murmured.

“Let’s go get a drink,” Merlin suggested. “I think you need one.”

“I don’t know,” Arthur whispered dejectedly.

“Come on, let me buy you a drink.” Merlin approached and held out his hand. Arthur took it and Merlin pulled him up from his chair. The two men left the building in silence and made their way to the Unicorn. They entered the bar, which was completely empty having just opened for the day. Merlin led Arthur to a table and guided him to a chair.

“How about some whiskey?” Merlin suggested. “Always good when a parent yells at you.”

“Sounds good,” Arthur mumbled.

“On the rocks?” 

“Yes, please.”

“I’ll be right back.” 

Merlin went to the bar and ordered a glass of Chivas Regal on the rocks for Arthur and a Dark and Stormy for himself. He paid for the drinks and brought them back to the table. Placing the whiskey in front of Arthur, he said, “Drink up, boss. You deserve it.”

“Thank you, Merlin.” Arthur raised his eyes to look at Merlin and gave him a faint smile.

“That’s better,” Merlin said encouragingly. “It’s not right for your father to talk to you like that. New viruses are being created all the time. It’s inevitable that some will get through. That’s why we have patches.”

“It’s nothing new,” Arthur grumbled. “He’s always yelled at me like that.”

Merlin didn’t like how defeated Arthur sounded, and he found himself feeling very protective of Arthur. “Well, it’s just plain wrong. He doesn’t appreciate how smart you are and how hard you work. I could tell that just by spending one day with you yesterday. If you jumped ship and went to work for a different company, your dad would realize how valuable you are.”

Merlin’s words were comforting to Arthur, mitigating the sting of Uther’s rant. The joy he felt hearing Merlin describe him as smart, hard-working, and valuable dulled the pain of his father’s vitriol. “You’re very kind, Merlin,” Arthur said softly. And he admitted to himself, “I’m in love with this man.”

Merlin felt embarrassed and didn’t know how to respond. All he knew was he wanted Arthur to feel better, so he said, “Would you like to come over to my place after work? We could grab a bite and watch a movie on Netflix, if you’d like.”

Arthur’s eyes lit up at the thought of hanging out with Merlin and seeing where Merlin lived. “I’d really like that. Thank you.” Arthur felt his spirits starting to lift.

After the two men finished their drinks, they headed back to the office. “Let’s go see if we can’t take care of that little virus problem,” Merlin suggested. “I bet we can resolve it this afternoon and soothe the savage beast. Sorry to refer to your dad that way,” he added with a grin.

“Don’t apologize. That’s a perfect description of Uther when he freaks out.”

Working together, Arthur and Merlin were able to resolve the virus problem in just a few hours and reassure the customer that their systems were now completely secure. Merlin continued to be troubled, however, by how Uther had berated Arthur. He decided that he couldn’t let it go and wouldn’t rest until he addressed the CEO assertively. Merlin knew he was taking a big risk, but it was not in his nature to back down when he encountered injustice.

Merlin walked across the length of the building from Arthur’s office to Uther’s office. The door was open and the CEO was sitting at his desk. “Good afternoon, Dr. Pendragon,” Merlin called in from the doorway, “do you have a moment to spare?”

“Hello, Emrys, please come in. What can I do for you?”

“Permission to speak freely, sir?” Merlin did his best to sound deferential.

Uther looked puzzled, but said, “Of course.”

Merlin decided to start with good news. “First, I’m here to let you know that the virus that infected Bensalem’s systems is no longer a threat. Arthur and I resolved the problem this afternoon. We contacted Bensalem and their systems are completely secure now. They expressed their appreciation for our quick response.”

“That’s excellent news, Emrys. Thank you.”

Merlin nodded. “Sir, I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation with Arthur earlier today, and it troubled me. It may be none of my business, but I have the utmost respect for Arthur, and I wanted you to know that he couldn’t have predicted or prevented the virus that infected Bensalem’s systems. New cyberthreats are cropping up all the time, and sometimes we just have to react as quickly as we can. This was a new virus and, thanks to Arthur, we were able to deal with it in a timely and effective manner.”

Uther looked at Merlin with a stern expression. “Anything else you want to say, Emrys?”

Merlin felt a bit intimidated but toughed it out. “I just hope that you recognize how smart, hard-working, loyal, and valuable your son is. I just spent one day with him learning about the management center product, and I think Arthur’s brilliant. I know he will be a great CEO someday. That’s all I wanted to say. I hope you will forgive me if I was out of line.”

Uther chuckled. “Well, this was certainly unusual. Nobody’s ever defended Arthur to me before now. But I admire your honesty and your directness, Emrys.”

“Thank you for your time, sir. I’ll let you get back to your more important work now.” Merlin made his exit and heaved a huge sigh of relief.

Merlin decided that debriefing about his conversation with Uther would help relieve the tension he was feeling, so he headed down to see Gwaine. His best friend was happy to see him. “Merlin, how’s it going buddy?” 

“Hey, Gwaine, can we find a private place to talk?”

Gwaine led him to a nearby conference room and closed the door. “What’s up? You seem stressed.”

Merlin described his entire day to Gwaine—starting with Uther reaming out Arthur this morning and ending with his interaction with Uther just moments ago. 

“No way,” Gwaine exclaimed. “You didn’t confront Uther and stick up for Arthur!”

“I sure did,” Merlin insisted. “I couldn’t let it go. I couldn’t stand how unjust it was. Uther was out of line.”

“Frankly, I’m surprised he didn’t fire you. You took a big risk, Merlin.”

“I guess so, but it felt like the right thing to do." 

“Yeah, I’ve known you long enough to be quite familiar with your righteous indignation,” Gwaine teased.

Merlin laughed easily. “Thanks for listening, Gwaine. It helped to debrief with you about my day. By the way, I can’t meet you at the Unicorn after work today. I invited Arthur to my place tonight. I figured he needed to unwind after the day he’s had.”

Knowing Merlin as well as he did, Gwaine raised an eyebrow. “What’s going on with you and Arthur, dude?”

Merlin blushed. “Yes, I’m attracted to him. But it’s more than that. I’ve seen him at his most vulnerable, and I’m feeling very protective of him.”

Gwaine gave Merlin a piercing look. “Just be careful, Merls. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’ll be OK, don’t worry,” Merlin replied.

*****

While Merlin and Gwaine were conversing, Uther walked through the long corridor to Arthur’s office. Arthur was surprised and anxious when his father entered his office for the second time that day. “Hello, father,” he said, “what can I do for you?”

“Merlin Emrys spoke to me a few moments ago,” Uther announced. “He informed me that the virus threat has been neutralized and the customer is pleased that the problem was resolved so quickly.” 

Arthur was shocked. “I didn’t ask or expect Merlin to speak to you, father.”

“I know you didn’t. Emrys stated that he was troubled by how I spoke to you this morning. He pointed out that you couldn’t have predicted or prevented the virus. He said that he had the utmost respect for you and sang your praises. If I recall correctly, I think he said you were brilliant and valuable. There was a string of other complimentary adjectives that I don’t remember.”

Arthur had a hard time believing what Uther was telling him. He assumed that his father was angry about Merlin having the audacity to challenge him. “I’m sorry. That was inappropriate. I’ll talk to Merlin about that.”

“No, don’t reprimand him,” Uther said firmly. And with a grin that was rather disconcerting to Arthur, he added, “I was amused by Emrys’s courage and loyalty to you. You seem to have made quite an impression on him. And what he said was true. I overreacted this morning and blamed you for something that was not your fault. Emrys explained that to me very clearly.”

Arthur couldn’t remember the last time his father admitted to wrongdoing, so he was amazed when Uther acknowledged that he had overreacted, and Arthur was not to blame. And hearing that Merlin had the utmost respect for him made him ecstatic. 

Arthur was at a loss for words. All he could manage was, “Thank you, father.” Uther simply nodded at him and departed. 

*****

After talking to Gwaine, Merlin headed back up to the sixth floor. As he was walking by Arthur’s office on the way to his cubicle, Arthur called to him, “Merlin, can you come in for a sec?” 

Arthur closed the door after Merlin entered. The two men stood in the middle of the office. Merlin looked at Arthur expectantly. “My dad stopped by a little while ago.” 

Merlin started to worry. “Was he angry?”

“No, not at all.” Merlin felt his anxiety subside. Arthur reached out and grabbed Merlin's hand. “You defended me to him. No one has ever done that before. Thank you, Merlin.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Can I give you a hug?" Arthur ventured, adding, "Feel free to decline if it would make you uncomfortable.”

“I would really like a hug, Arthur,” Merlin said quietly, moving closer to Arthur.

Arthur extended his arms and wrapped them tightly around Merlin, who responded by placing his hands on Arthur’s back and massaging gently. Arthur repeated the words, “Thank you,” in a soft voice. They stood there hugging for several seconds before Arthur whispered, “Can I kiss you, Merlin?”

Merlin answered by pressing his lips to Arthur’s, tentatively at first, but increasing in intensity when Arthur leaned into the kiss and explored Merlin’s sensual mouth with his tongue. Arthur grabbed the back of Merlin’s head, kissing him fiercely, and Merlin felt himself submitting and melting into Arthur’s desperate longing. In that moment he knew he would give everything he had to the ravishing golden man in his arms. 

When they finally broke apart, two pairs of beautiful blue eyes met. Merlin said in a breathy voice, “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

Arthur replied, “I KNOW I’m ALREADY in love with you.”

They smiled at each other then. Merlin grabbed Arthur’s hand and said, “Well, then.” He brought Arthur’s hand up to his lips and kissed it gently. Arthur then leaned forward and kissed Merlin’s forehead.

*****

That evening Merlin and Arthur made passionate love in Merlin’s loft apartment. As soon as they entered the loft, Arthur grabbed Merlin and kissed him forcefully. Merlin felt Arthur’s erection pressing against him, and he began unbuttoning Arthur’s shirt. Breaking away from the kiss, Merlin led Arthur to his bedroom where they tore off their clothes and crashed onto Merlin’s king-sized bed. Arthur began exploring Merlin’s long, lean, wiry body with his mouth and hands, and Merlin resonated to Arthur’s sensual touch, emitting soft sighs and arching his back when he felt Arthur’s mouth on his cock.

“Don’t want to come yet,” Merlin gasped. Arthur lifted his head up and grinned. 

“My turn,” Merlin said, pushing Arthur onto his back. His eyes drank in the beauty of Arthur’s toned and muscled body, and he began to pleasure Arthur with his hands, mouth, and tongue. 

That evening they made love off and on for three hours, taking breaks to have a light supper and to exchange life stories. Arthur ended up staying over, and they fell asleep around midnight after both men had climaxed for the last time that night. 

*****

Three months had passed since the first time Arthur and Merlin made love. Their relationship was now solid and strong. Firmly committed to each other, they both had no doubt that they were soulmates, destined to be together. 

Merlin kept no secrets from Gwaine, who had witnessed the relationship evolve from the very beginning. Gwaine was initially concerned about Arthur’s trustworthiness, but in time he recognized how smitten Arthur was with Merlin, and he came to feel happy for his best friend.

Arthur was not so forthcoming with Morgana. Concerned that Morgana would criticize him for getting involved with a subordinate, Arthur waited until Merlin’s temporary assignment to Cybersecurity had concluded and he was back at Decision Support. 

When he eventually told Morgana that he and Merlin were a couple, she was more amused than anything. “I should have guessed,” she said. “I thought it was odd that you didn’t want Merlin to work from his cubicle down here and had him move up to the sixth floor. I should have known you had the hots for him.” Arthur resigned himself to being teased by his sister, and he knew she wouldn’t let up for quite some time.

Telling Uther was a completely different story. Arthur couldn’t imagine Uther accepting that he was in love with Merlin. He was terribly anxious about disclosing their relationship to his father. Not only would he have to come out, but he would also have to say that he was in love with a company employee. He wondered if his father would retaliate against Merlin somehow. Perhaps even fire him? 

Despite his reservations, Arthur knew that he couldn’t keep avoiding talking to his father. And he recognized that he and Merlin were resourceful. If his father were to react badly, they could always quit their jobs and, given their credentials and experience, it wouldn’t be hard to find work elsewhere. Besides, Arthur was pretty sure that Uther wouldn’t want to lose two of his most productive employees.

So one afternoon Arthur asked his father to join him for lunch at Giorgio’s. He now thought of that restaurant as the location of his first unofficial date with Merlin, and he had fond memories of their conversation over lunch that day. 

As father and son sat across from each other in Giorgio’s, Arthur could feel the nervous energy coursing through his body. After giving their orders to the waiter, Arthur steeled himself and said, “Father, I have something difficult to tell you, and I hope you’ll keep an open mind when you hear what I have to say.”

Uther gave Arthur an inquisitive look that encouraged him to continue. “I’m gay,” Arthur admitted, and he let out the breath he had been holding.

“I know,” Uther said, and Arthur stared at him, wide-eyed. 

“You know?”

Uther chuckled. “I’ve known since you were in high school. I wondered when you were going to tell me. Actually, I wondered if you were ever going to tell me.”

“Did Morgana tell you?”

“No, I figured it out a long time ago. I’m not a fool, you know.”

“There’s more,” Arthur said. 

“Tell me.”

“I’m in a relationship with Merlin Emrys,” Arthur said. “I love him.”

Uther looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, “Emrys, huh? So that’s why he spoke up for you that day.”

“We weren’t together at that point,” Arthur explained. “I was interested in him before then, but after you told me what he did, I knew I was in love with him.” 

Uther chuckled again. “Well, well. Merlin Emrys. I quite like him. From now on you two can come together to company events. No need to keep bringing Elena to try and hide the fact that you’re gay.” 

Arthur’s jaw dropped and he just stared at his dad. Luckily their meals were delivered at that moment, and father and son spent the next half hour in silence, enjoying their delicious veal parmigiana sandwiches. 

Fin


End file.
